Don't miss these awesome cocktail bars. The hottest places to unwind after dark.

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Angels and Kings

Turn up the music

If you like your tunes, this is the place for you. With its raucous roadhouse vibe, Angels and Kings is music to its punters’ ears. Come here for all styles: live band karaoke, DJ nights, jukeboxes, open-mike nights and even a huge brass gong. The walls get in on the beat too, studded with pictures of rock and roll legends, from Bruce Springsteen to Janis Joplin. The buzzing crowd is out for a foot-tapping time – and they never leave disappointed.

230 N. Michigan Ave.

Tel: +1 312 482 8600 www.angelsandkings.com

Scofflaw

Comfier than your favourite jumper

It can get cold and windy in Chicago – so you’ll need a snug bar with a roaring fire. Or two. Scofflaw comes through on all counts, beating back the elements with its charm and sexy cocktails. A rustic neighbourhood vibe ensures the warmth doesn’t just come from the fireplaces but from the hospitality too. So order a drink, pull up a comfy leather chair and settle in for the evening. There are even free cookies straight from the oven. Cold and windy? Not in here!

3201 W/ Armitage Ave.

Tel: +1 773 252 9700 http://scofflawchicago.com/

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Ourall-timefavouritebar

http://billy-sunday.com/

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Billy Sunday

The man would turn in his grave

It takes ironic humour to name a bar after an evangelist who helped bring about alcohol’s prohibition. Well, this bar revels in that irony. With its gargantuan selection of rare spirits, including some pre-Castro rums, and a selection of speakeasy cocktails, Billy Sunday flaunts booze’s legal status! You have to try The Victorian, a delicious concoction of Dutch gin and wormwood bitters. It all comes served in great vintage glassware. Put that in your sermon, Mr Sunday!

3143 W. Logan Blvd.

Tel: +1 773 890 0588 www.community-bar.com

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Maria's Packaged Goods & Community Bar

Mom says you can have a beer

Chicago is famed for its slashies (half liquor stores, half taverns) and its favourite of the bunch is Maria’s, a family-owned establishment. Watched over by Maria the matriarch (all the locals call her Mom), the bar is run by her two sons, giving the place a very homely, relaxed feel. But it’s the range of over 450 different beers and superbly-mixed cocktails which has made this place famous. So, remember, when you come visit Mom, arrive thirsty!

960 West 31st Street

Tel: +1 773 665 5660 www.hqbeercade.com

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Headquarters Beercade

Pints and pinball

A pinball-themed bar? It has to be Chicago, which in the game’s heyday was America’s pinball manufacturing hub. Now is your chance to relive that experience, as well as try your hand at plenty of old-school arcade games, like Frogger, Donkey Kong, Space Invaders and Defender. After you’ve worked up a thirst, quench it with a choice of craft beers and clever cocktails. Set in an industrial warehouse, it’s your time capsule to an old, but fun, world!